Warsaw and Syracuse have many scary events coming up to celebrate Halloween.
Warsaw's Spooktacular is Oct. 24 in downtown Warsaw.
The event is sponsored by Warsaw Community Development Corp., Miller's Merry Manor, Warsaw Optimist Club and Kosciusko Board of Realtors.Registration for the costume contest will be on the southeast side of the Kosciusko County Courthouse lawn from 5 to 6 p.m.
Trick or treating with Downtown merchants will be from 6 to 7 p.m., and costume contest judging on the courthouse lawn will be from 7 to 8 p.m.
Activities are open to infants to 12 year olds.
Costume contest categories include ages infant to 1-year-olds and 2- to 3-year-olds. Costumes will be judged on most original, funniest and cutest.
Ages 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12 will be judged on the same categories.
"This year, in order to expedite the judging process, there will be two tents so that two age groups may be judged at the same time," said WCDC Director Cindy Dobbins.
Dobbins said there were more than 1,000 children who participated in the event in 2007.
Children ages infant to 3 will be judged in one tent and children ages 4 to 12 will be judged in another tent.
Participants are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food items for local food pantries or items for the Kosciusko County Animal Shelter. Items needed for the shelter include clean towels, bleach, laundry soap and chew toys.
Street closures will include Center Street between Lake and Indiana streets, and Buffalo Street between Market and Main streets. The streets will close between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Oct. 24 and re-open around 9 p.m.
A haunted house will be at Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive, Oct. 24 through Oct. 30. There will not be a show on Oct. 26. Admission is $5 per person.
The haunted house will be from 7 to 9 p.m. each night. Children under 6 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
The haunted house will include a graveyard, a dungeon, a tunnel and various other parts of a home decorated for Halloween, according to Pam Donat, Syracuse park and recreation department program director.
A Syracuse merchant Halloween costume contest will be Oct. 31 from 2 to 4 p.m.
People must call the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce office at 574-457-5637 to participate. Categories include best theme, most original, funniest, scariest and best overall.
